Australian Open 2015: Will Nick Kyrgios be a great champion or another Gael Monfils?

For all the questions that Nick Kyrgios has answered during his exhilarating run to the Australian Open quarter-finals, in the locker-room, questions remain. Four-time major winner Jim Courier senses peer sentiment that combines immense respect for the 19-year-old's talent with uncertainty about how he will develop.

"The guys in the locker-room are watching really closely because they know he's a real challenger to the throne, and there aren't many people in that conversation as far as the challengers go, so it's special for Nick," said Courier, now a commentator and US Davis Cup captain.

Roger to carry on, but for how long?

Will Kyrgios prevail against Murray?

Greg Baum and Linda Pearce preview day nine of the Australian Open, as Nick Kyrgios goes head-to-head with Andy Murray.

"But it's early days. My read on it is that that there are a lot of question marks about where he'll go from here. 'Is he going to be a great champion? He has that talent and potential. Or is he going to be a Gael Monfils, who focused more on entertainment, less on getting the most out of himself?'

"We all love watching Gael Monfils, but he also disappoints all of his fans, because he just hasn't maximised his potential. Gael has great shots, he's a terrific player, he just hasn't quite put the pieces together, so if I was in Nick's camp, I would want to model the level of concentration and focus and priorities more on the guys who are lifting the big trophies."

Kyrgios owns some large junior ones, and seems destined for a whole lot more; entering just his third full year on the senior tour, and is already into the last eight at a grand slam for the second time, Roger Federer being the last teenager to reach multiple quarter-finals, back in 2001. But Tuesday night's opposition — Andy Murray — will be a class above what he has faced so far.

The former US Open and Wimbledon champion is a supreme defensive player, as well as a great offensive one, who will push Kyrgios around the court, make him play that extra ball, make him do something special to win his points. Murray beat Kyrgios 6-2, 6-2 in their only previous match: last year on a Toronto hardcourt, during the day, the stadium mostly empty.

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"Nick will have to adjust tactics a little bit to deal with that; he's gonna have to find a way to get through Murray, to find a way to hit winners and win points," said the Australian's coach, Todd Larkham. "So we'll have to talk about what are his other options to be able to nullify that defence."

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Much will depend on how Kyrgios recovers, emotionally as well as physically, from his phenomenal comeback against Andreas Seppi that captivated a nation and earned him the right to play Murray. The Scotis entertained by Kyrgios — of course he is — but is also 10-0 against Australians, and had to deny he was in the business of routinely breaking Australian hearts.

Murray polished off an admirable Grigor Dimitrov in four sets after midnight, while Kyrgios had a slightly earlier departure, and morning sleep-in, then cut a relaxed figure in the players' restaurant after barely a half-hour hit on court 18, telling well-wishers he had pulled up well, was feeling fine, and looked like he meant it.

Kyrgios says the second-time-around factor is important. "I know what to expect now, what I am going to be feeling, especially after a five-set match like that ... I've just got so much more confidence in my body now. My legs were feeling really good towards the end of the fifth set. It's massive confidence being 19 knowing that you can last matches like that. It's massive,"

Otherwise, the benefit he has this time, compared with Wimbledon, was that rain postponements at the All England Club forced the debutant to back up for his quarter-final against Raonic less than 24 hours after his monumental upset of Rafael Nadal.

"The [Seppi] match has taken a huge amount out of him, but Wimbledon was so hard; to play a match like that against Nadal and then be asked to play the next day was just brutal," says Larkham. "This is an enormous benefit that he's got a full 48 hours to recover and he's shown this week that he's not cramping and he's got the running in his legs to be able to do it, so I'm expecting that when seven o'clock comes around he's going to be 100 per cent ready to go."

Kyrgios, though, is clearly not 100 per cent physically fit, his back injury having restricted his movement, and plenty else. "There's certain shots that it's painful to hit, and I don't want to say what shots they are, but he hasn't hit those particular shots as well or as hard as he did at Wimbledon, for example, and that's because of the back," says Larkham. "But, still, he's found a way to win matches."

And electrify the tournament, and Courier quips that the Americans are "jealous" that Australia has the 19-year-old with the irresistible star quality, an ability to embrace big moments and pressure situations, instincts that can't be taught.

But then there is Murray, whom Kyrgios rates as one of the best athletes on the tour. "He'll want to lay down a marker on the challenger," says Courier. "He laid one down on Dimitrov last night; he's gonna want to keep Nick at bay because he knows he's coming, and the veterans want to protect what they have and try and get a little bit more. But he respects Nick, you can see that.

"Andy's gonna force him to play a very physical match, and Nick's back is a question mark. He'll need to be at full strength to be competitive with Andy; Andy could make him look bad if he's not moving, because Andy looked really offensive last night when he was able to be, and I think he'll have chances against Nick."

Murray is the clear favourite, so we finish by asking the wily old sage, Tony Roche: can Kyrgios win? "I think a lot will depend on how he pulls up; if his body's good," says Roche. "I think the ball's on Nick's racquet. If he plays well, then he's got a big chance."